By Ebony L. McCline

Carrotmob will invade Chicago's Fox & Obel Market this Sunday, August 9.

If you haven't already heard of it, Carrotmob is a relatively new form of green activism and it's going to be employed Sunday, August 9th at gourmet food purveyor Fox & Obel Market downtown near North Pier at 401 E. Illinois. The store hopes to generate a spike in business through a "mob" of consumers shopping there in a short time span. A portion of the money it brings in during that time will be earmarked toward greening its own business operations.

About half of what consumers spend between noon and 6 p.m. on Sunday will be earmarked to make Fox & Obel more energy efficient, says Laura Flanigan, spokesperson for Chicago Carrotmob. Additionally, consumers during that time will also have an opportunity to donate their food purchases to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a non-profit that helps feed hungry residents in the city.

The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), which provides advice on energy saving opportunities to facilities, audited Fox & Obel and offered suggestions to reduce energy costs in the building, says Flanigan. After the event, Fox & Obel's management will decide which suggestions they will implement to become more energy efficient.

Carrotmob originated in San Francisco as a grassroots initiative to encourage lots of people to descend upon a venue to show their support of a green cause or some other positive activity in the community, Flanigan says. The mob typically is coordinated by a team of 35 to 40 local volunteers, she says.

"It's about creating a positive difference by providing a carrot (instead of a stick) and doing it as a mob," Flanigan says.

Expectations of a strong turnout are high because of the mob's partnership with the Academy of Management Conference. The Academy, which is a professional association for scholars in the management field, are holding their annual national conference in Chicago on August 7-11. This year's theme is "Green Management Matters."

Hopefully, the conference, which will draw people from different states all weekend, will generate more business for Fox & Obel Market during the event on Sunday because it's within walking distance of the gathering, Flanigan says.

When choosing a business to focus on for a Carrotmob event, proximity to the conference was important to Flanigan, as well as a variety of price points of things people can purchase to show their support of the business, she says. Fox & Obel Market met all the qualifications.

This form of activism is stress-free for all participants, which may encourage more people to participate and could make this form of activism more effective, says Flanigan. Individuals are not forced to buy anything and they are encouraged to buy only what they need. On the day of the event, the market will operate as usual and will be open to the public.

Local First Chicago, an advocacy group that stresses the importance of choosing local independent businesses, is one of the event sponsors. Fox & Obel is one of thousands of businesses that need support to remain open, says Executive Director April Jervis.

Carrotmob has staged organized consumer mob events all over the world, including ones in Germany, New York and Charleston, S.C.

"It's an effective way of sending a unified message if 500 people show up out of nowhere to reduce energy impact," Flanigan says.

For more information on the event Click Here.